Is it strange to crave pumpkin pie post-holiday season? Well, I did not have any so now I'm fighting this huge craving for creamy spicy pumpkin pie. Actually, it's the pie filling that I dream about so I decided to make a healthy version that can curb my craving without assaulting my waistline. The result is my butternut squash custard. This custard has all the creaminess you come to expect from a good pumpkin pie but barely any of the fat and empty calories. Butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamin A so you can even say this dessert is good for you!
Ingredients
- one small butternut squash (about 1kg)
- 250mL soymilk, unsweetened
- 60mL maple syrup, medium grade
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
Method
- Preheat oven to 400F. Split the butternut squash in half, length-wise. Scoop out the seeds and lightly oil the cut-side of the squash. Place the two halves on a 9x13 baking pan, cut-side down. Roast for about 45min until tender. Cool until you can handle the squash without burning yourself.
- Peel the squash and put all the flesh in a food processor or blender. Process the butternut squash until it becomes a creamy puree. Put the puree into a large mixing bowl.
- Preheat oven to 350F and place 24 shallow ceramic ramekin on a baking sheet.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together soymilk and maple syrup. In another small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, spices, and a large spoonful of squash puree until there is no lumps. Whisk the egg mixture into the squash puree. Finally, stir in the soymilk mixture until you have a smooth batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the ramekins. Bake for about 30min until custard is set. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
If you want to get fancy, you can caramelize some sugar on top of the custard so you have butternut squash creme brulee.
